19hLike its previous iteration Longzhou Gaming, Kingzone DragonX was easily the favorite at another international League of Legends tournament, the Mid-Season Invitational. Once again it could not take a title, and fans were left wondering why.

Editor's Picks

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Nos. 1-10: World contenders

Nos. 11-20: Playoff contenders

Nos. 21-30: Middle of the pack

Nos. 31-40: Struggling

Nos. 41-52: Bottom of the barrel

World contenders

1. Kingzone DragonX

Record: 7-1 | League: LCK | +/-: +1

Despite a slight slip-up in Game 1 against the Jin Air Green Wings, Kingzone DragonX remain the best team in the world. Most of the recognition will go to Kim "Khan" Dong-ha for his exemplary carry performances and ability to draw pressure, but this wouldn't be possible without the improving jungle/mid synergy between Han "Peanut" Wang-ho and Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong. Peanut had some creative early games this past week against KT Rolster that set Kingzone up for success. AD carry Kim "PraY" Jong-in has also been phenomenal in teamfights, showcasing exactly why Ezreal has been one of his signature picks since Season 2.

2. Afreeca Freecs

Record: 6-2 | League: LCK | +/-: +4

Last year, the Afreeca Freecs went into many series with an excellent game plan for one game, before failing to adjust as well in the second. This year, they not only have the game plan, but have shown an ability to adapt and adjust from game to game, becoming a more flexible team than they were previously. This week's Afreeca highlights include Lee "Spirit" Da-yoon's jungle Camille, and a throwback LeBlanc game from mid laner Lee "KurO" Seo-haeng. The Freecs still don't look as strong as Kingzone DragonX, but with continuing improvement and their newfound flexibility, they're a fun, talented team to watch.

3. KT Rolster

Record: 6-2 | League: LCK | +/-: --

Headed into last week, KT Rolster was certainly more favored to take a game off of Kingzone DragonX than the Jin Air Green Wings. Yet, KT's highly-anticipated showdown with Kingzone DragonX ended with a Game 1 stomp, a closer Game 2, and a Kingzone sweep while JAG was a small margin of nexus hit-points away from taking Game 1. That being said, KT are still above most other teams in South Korea, save Kingzone and the Afreeca Freecs. Hopefully Go "Score" Dong-bin continues to favor Jax in the jungle over Camille going forward.

4. EDward Gaming

Record: 5-1 | League: LPL | +/-: --

Snake was the best-performing team of Week 4, but with only six matches played before the Lunar New Year break and none of them with EDward Gaming, it's difficult to punish EDG for not playing. Over the past few weeks, EDG has blossomed into a more flexible team than years past, and its upcoming cross-conference matches against Suning Gaming, Rogue Warriors and Invictus Gaming after the break are all must-watch series.

5. Snake Esports

Record: 6-1 | League: LPL | +/-: --

Although it wasn't right to punish EDward Gaming for not having played this past week, Snake are on a roll, and may emerge as the best team in China as cross-conference play continues. The only pitfall for Snake that lies ahead is how well they can adjust to a new meta after the break once the new patch hits. Snake have excelled in the current meta with strong top/jungle synergy from Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun and Lê "SofM" Quang Duy. As the focus shifts a bit more towards the bottom lane, it will be up to Snake to adjust.

6. ROX Tigers

Record: 4-4 | League: LCK | +/-: +10

It's a bit shocking to see the Tigers up this high without the likes of the "old Tigers": Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho, Han "Peanut" Wang-ho, Lee "KurO" Seo-haeng, Kim "PraY" Jong-in and Kang "GorillA" Beom-hyeon.

This new batch of Tigers has performed well above expectations, starting with Kim "Lava" Tae-hoon, who prior to the split was expected to be benched for newcomer Lee "Kuzan" Seong-hyeok. ROX have also settled on playing around top side and Heo "Lindarang" Man-heung has stepped up to the challenge along with jungler Yoon "Seonghwan" Seong-hwan.

7. Invictus Gaming

Record: 6-1 | League: LPL | +/-: --

Invictus Gaming closed out the LoL Pro League matches before the two-week break with a 2-1 victory over FunPlus Phoenix in the first batch of cross-conference games. The series covered everything one would expect from an iG series, including a lost Game 2 where iG's opponents adapted to iG's Game 1 plan.

We also saw a remarkable individual performance from mid laner Song "Rookie" Eu-jin, this time on Zoe, a champion he previously looked lackluster on. Currently, iG are holding steady above a cluster of teams in the East Region that includes Rogue Warriors, Suning Gaming and JD Gaming, but this will be tested more throughout cross-conference play.

8. KSV

Record: 5-3 | League: LCK | +/-: -6

This was a rough week for the reigning world champions. First they lost 1-2 to the ROX Tigers, then they were swept by a rising SK Telecom T1. No amount of individual flashes of strength from Lee "CuVee" Seong-jin and Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk can cover up the fact that KSV look surprisingly uncoordinated right now. Previously the team has struggled with balancing between the aggressive early game of Kang "Haru" Min-seung with the experienced mid-to-late game shotcalling of Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong, but neither jungler looked particularly strong this past week, and KSV's teamfighting, usually a team strength, was oddly out-of-sync.

9. Cloud9

Record: 7-1 | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1

Cue the Cloud9 puns now. The club isn't here just for the playful jokes. The evolution of C9's core trio and the rebirth of Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen in the starting jungler role has solidified the Worlds quarterfinalist as the team to beat in North America. Rookie of the Split contender Eric "Licorice" Ritchie has had more successes thus far than setbacks, and his maturation across the year will be key in C9's attempt to make it back to the Worlds bracket stage for the third straight year.

10. Vitality

Record: 7-1 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

It is pretty clear by now that Team Vitality has set itself apart from the field in Europe. As the sole team with crisp macro play and nearly flawless micromanagement, it should be included in the conversation regarding its ability to sustain a best-of-five series in a playoff setting and perhaps the Mid-Season Invitational, should the players keep pace. A macro gambit roulette against Team ROCCAT resulted in victory in huge part due to creative Spellbook usage, but the team's second game of the week (against Splyce) was not even close.

Playoff contenders

11. Jin Air Green Wings

Record: 3-5 | League: LCK | +/-: -3

Jin Air almost did it. The Green Wings nearly ended Kingzone DragonX's win streak in an ill-fated nexus push that is sure to give multiple LCK teams nightmare flashbacks to their own series. If anything, despite the loss, Jin Air gave a clear blueprint on how to take a game (if not a win) against Kingzone. Despite the two series losses, Jin Air still doesn't look down and out and the team knows how to play to its strengths, although it will have a tough time going forward with a rising SK Telecom T1.

12. SK Telecom T1

Record: 3-5 | League: LCK | +/-: +12

Is SK Telecom T1 back? Starting rookie jungler Park "Blossom" Beom-chan alongside Park "Thal" Kwon-hyuk and Lee "Wolf" Jae-wan back in the support position has rejuvenated SKT, at least for a week. Blossom isn't a good jungler yet, but he brings a breath of fresh air to SKT's early game that it sorely needed. SKT has rallied around its new rookie, focusing on picking easily executed compositions where Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok can roam and affect side lanes, or come into a teamfight at any time. It's too early to say whether SKT is truly back, or if the team can make a significant run for playoffs after starting with such a deficit, but with the rest of the LCK in flux and Faker on the team, it's certainly possible.

13. BiliBili Gaming

Record: 5-3 | League: LPL | +/-: --

After faltering to Royal Never Give Up in their first match last week, Bili Bili Gaming recovered by beating up on Topsports Gaming with top laner Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho's Gangplank and mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon's Zoe. TOP are the worst team in the LoL Pro League aside from possibly Vici Gaming -- the two play each other in the first match after the New Year's break, when this will seemingly be decided once and for all -- which is why BLG are staying in their current position. BLG are still one of the stronger Chinese teams in the current meta.

14. Rogue Warriors

Record: 5-2 | League: LPL | +/-: --

Rogue Warriors have slowly been picking up wins since the beginning of the split, capitalizing on what opponents have given them in draft. RW have not played since last week's Power Ranking when they beat Team WE in a 2-0 upset, so they too maintain their current position.

15. Team WE

Record: 3-4 | League: LPL | +/-: -6

Although last week's Power Rankings were adjusted at the last minute before submission to reflect Team WE's loss to Rogue Warriors that kicked off Week 4, upon further reflection, WE have been moved down a bit more to give rising LoL Pro League teams like Rogue Warriors and Bili Bili Gaming their due.

WE are better than their record, especially since the team went without starting jungler Xiang "Condi" Ren-Jie for three series (losing two of them) but the insistence on picking losing, scaling lanes and the recent loss to RW should have bumped them down further. WE's match against Royal Never Give Up, a team on a small upswing, after the New Year's break should tell us a lot more about their current status.

16. Echo Fox

Record: 7-1 | League: NA LCS | +/-: +4

Almost halfway through the season, who would have predicted Dardoch to be a front-runner for league MVP? The man who was on three different teams last year and on the verge of being the best "what if?" story has been the catalyst to Echo Fox being in prime position to make its first playoff trip in team history. There are still five weeks remaining in the season, but at this point, this is already the most successful FOX starting five of all-time.

17. JD Gaming

Record: 4-2 | League: LPL | +/-: --

Another team that did not play a match following its ranking last week, JD Gaming will hold steady at 17 for now.

18. Fnatic

Record: 5-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +12

Fnatic has finally risen to contender status in Europe. What makes this team's rise more convincing compared to other European teams is its deliberate focus on improving its macro play and decision-making, and Paul "sOAZ" Boyer's ability to draw enemy resources away from the rest of the map. Its players have already been known as some of the top in Europe, and their ability to execute game plans as impeccably as they did against Giants Gaming may be a hint for things to come -- and Vitality better be watching. Week 5 should allow it to consolidate its position with clashes against Splyce and Schalke 04.

19. Suning

Record: 4-3 | League: LPL | +/-: --

In its first cross-conference series, Suning Gaming decimated Vici Gaming 2-0. The team seems to have settled on Yang "H4cker" Zhi-Hao in the jungle over Gao "Tian" Tian-Liang despite the latter's experience with mid laner Zhuo "Knight" Ding. Knight has been a strong and important mid lane presence for Suning, and although AD carry Lee "Fury" Jin-yong initially took more of a cleanup role, he is having somewhat of a career resurgence. With strong performances throughout the season, he enters the break after a 24 perfect KDA against VG.

20. Team Liquid

Record: 5-3 | League: NA LCS | +/-: -5

It was a tough week for Liquid. The team lost swiftly at the hands of C9 before getting shut out in another top-of-the-table clash with Echo Fox. It's too early to be pushing the panic button. This team, as did Immortals last summer who had the same core members, will figure it out by season's end. The only question is if that will be enough in a best-of-five with the likes of a C9 or a TSM squad.